


Facts on the Ankylosaurus

by kaulayau



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brothers, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Gen, I lowkey want to write a fic for Neon Genesis Evangelion, I might write more sibling pairings, I’m watching it on KissAnime and it’s beautiful, Short One Shot, Teen Angst, because I’d love to write some Allison and Ben, milestones my dude milestones, oh my god magical word count, this highkey is not a story just like a stream-of-consciousness collection of words, we’ll see!, yo this is the shortest thing I’ve written for this fandom!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 13:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19318909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaulayau/pseuds/kaulayau
Summary: They’re not friends. Luther has no friends. There’s the world, and there’s family, and there’s nothing much in between.It’s how it goes.Kind of.border border borderNumber One and Number Five.





	Facts on the Ankylosaurus

**Author's Note:**

> for real though! Neon Genesis Evangelion!!
> 
> (this was written for Summer of Seven Prompt No. 7: Beauty Lays Behind the Hills)

So yeah. Five is upset (as he always is.) But this time, he doesn’t return to his seat. He doesn’t look back when he bounds away. And then there’s an empty table-space and a plate piled high.

“ _Number Five,”_ calls their father. “You haven’t been excused.” Luther gives it eight seconds. Then Five will circle around, pouting, arms crossed. (And if not, Vanya’s going to jump up and go after him, or Allison will groan and stomp away. From there, it’s a domino-mask effect. Diego might lead a charge — anything to get out of lunch. Ben will follow him, and Klaus was never good with peer-pressure. Luther knows his team like the back of his hand.)

Herr Carlson mumbles mountaineering from the phonograph.

His family eats their rotisserie chicken.

Luther waits for the action to start.

Okay.

Wait.

Wait a second. Eight seconds have passed. Five has not yet returned. Vanya doesn’t stand. Allison picks at her green beans. There is no domino-mask effect.

Hold on.

No.

 _Luther_ can’t be expected to do anything about this. It’ll upset their household order. (It’ll upset their _father_.) Luther’s supposed to be the leader — the _example_. Then everyone falls into place. Two. Three. Four. Six. Seven. Kraken. Rumor. Seánce. Horror. (Vanya’s more their of their manager. Behind-the-scenes. They’re still thinking of a code name to give her.) And then Five. 

If he hasn’t returned in the next two seconds...

In that case.

Who’s going to make sure no one gets dropped, or offed, or hurt? Who’s been left to put everything back where it should be?

“Number One,” says his father, almost bewildered. Luther’s siblings look up from their meals in alarm. “A single departure must not lead to another. Number _One_ —”

He’s already out the door.

* * *

He should have stayed inside.

Luther is not a goddamn tactician. (That’s Ben’s thing. Otherwise, it cycles out — the others want their turn.)

And there’s his brother, halfway down the street.

“Five,” Luther shouts. It doesn’t take his attention. His brother is walking faster. “ _Five.”_

Luther takes off his dress-shoe. He doesn’t have Diego’s pinpoint accuracy, but he has his own brute strength — there’s a sting of blue light —

His shoe pins Five’s ankle, and it’s enough to make Five stumble. It’s enough to make him turn around. It’s enough to put a scrunched-up expression on his face — all right. That means he’s going to make a spatial jump, and Luther is one-hundred percent sure on this — so catches up to his brother. He grabs Five’s wrist like it’ll save the world. And now Luther can’t hear or see a thing —

They’re in a diner now.

 _The_ diner.

This probably wasn’t the intended destination.

“You threw me off,” Five says. A sigh. A scrunched-up face —

“Stop it.” Luther takes Five’s wrist again, tethering him. “Let’s go home. You didn’t eat your food.” Five pauses, the gears turning in his (big, stupid) brain. And he bites Luther’s hand. Luther (barely even) flinches. “If you’re that hungry, come home and eat your food.”

Five wrenches. “Let go.” Luther doesn’t. Luther won’t. “You’re hurting me.”

Damn it.

So Luther lets go.

Well — neither of them seem particularly sorry. They’re not friends. Luther has no friends. There’s the world, and there’s family, and there’s nothing much in between.

It’s how it goes.

Kind of.

“Come home,” says Luther, like a question.

“If I don’t?” Luther can’t respond. “Your perfect little family. Dad won’t think you’re top-of-the-class, yeah?” His voice almost trembles. “That’s what you’re all so scared of.”

“I’m not doing this for him.”

(He doesn’t really know if he is.)

Five looks at him.

And he’s gone.

Oh.

Luther will have to walk the whole way back. There’s a shortcut down Main Street.

(He’ll have to find another shoe.)

* * *

Five’s waiting in Luther’s room. “Take your fucking shoe.” And Five throws it at him. “Let’s go get doughnuts, you idiot.”

They should have gone earlier. 

“We seriously shouldn’t.”

But Luther guesses that they’ll go now.

**Author's Note:**

> yo if go check out the Summer of Seven collection! Everyone’s foodstuffs are so *chef’s kiss* delicious
> 
> [if u want to keep up with my miscellaneous memes (and I want to start taking fic requests too it might be fun!) here’s my tumblr](https://kaulayau.tumblr.com)
> 
> [and head over to the Umbrella Academy Discord server! it’s the most fire location on the Internet](https://discord.gg/muPgAGv)
> 
> the notes are longer than the fic
> 
> thank you 100/100 <3<3<3


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